The Gonzaga Bulldogs have slipped into the No. 1 spot in the national AP rankings and now sit patiently waiting for the opponent they’ll face in the West Coast Conference semifinals. Can the Zags continue to improve upon their already impressive March Madness odds?

With 17/2 odds of winning the NCAA National Tournament, Gonzaga has not only established themselves as the team to beat in their mid-major conference, but also one of the elite programs in the country.

They may have benefited from a slightly easier schedule than their peers in the relentless Big Ten, but it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve proven an intangible ability to contend with their blue chip competition.

Before the Zags can look to make noise during March Madness, they’ll await the victors of the early rounds of their WCC tournament. Expected to line up against either Santa Clara or San Francisco in the semis, before either Saint Mary’s or BYU in the finals, the Bulldogs’ path to conference supremacy won’t go unchallenged.

Saint Mary’s, it’s worth noting, hasn’t lost a single conference matchup with the exception of their two to Gonzaga.